How To Prepare For A Root Canal

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Have you been told you need a root canal? This fills many people with apprehension. However, a root canal is a standard dental procedure and there is nothing to fear. You just need to make sure that you understand what the process will be and that you do everything that is necessary to make yourself as comfortable as possible through the entire process. Take a look at what you need to know. 

Eat Beforehand

One of the things you can do is to make sure that you eat beforehand. Your gums will be injected with an anesthetic. This will make you unable to eat comfortably for several hours afterward. Once the procedure is finished you will not be able to eat regular food and having eaten beforehand can make you comfortable at least for a few hours. After that, you may have to take only liquids for as long as your dentist recommends.

Take a Pain Reliever

Your dentist may recommend that you take a pain reliever before the procedure happens. You will usually be told to take a pain reliever that has anti-inflammatory properties. This pain reliever will help to relieve pain but it will also reduce any swelling that is likely to take place once the procedure is finished.

Stay Away From Alcohol

Before the procedure, you should stay away from alcohol for a few hours. If you smoke, you should not do so before the procedure. This is because tobacco and alcohol have the potential to trigger an adverse reaction once the anesthetic is injected into your gum.

Additionally, your dentist will want to know if you are taking any medications that can affect the procedure. For example, he may ask if you are taking aspirin regularly as a blood thinner. Blood thinners can cause you to bleed excessively after the procedure. You will probably be asked to stop taking these a few days before your root canal. If you take herbal supplements, your dentist may ask you to discontinue these as well, since some herbal supplements may cause adverse reactions to the anesthetic.

Be Prepared

You now have a firm idea of exactly how to prepare for your root canal. If you have any questions, you should ask your dentist ahead of time; do not shy away from doing this. The more you know, the more comfortable you will be with the procedure.

Contact your dentist to learn more about root canals.


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